1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a novel unsaturated cyclic acetal and, more specifically, to a novel dioxepin compound and its use as a flavor agent for foods and as an odorant for perfumes.
2. The Prior Art
It is known to the art to condense aldehydic compounds with polyhydric alcohols to prepare the corresponding cyclic acetals. However, it has not been known heretofore that the condensation of the unsaturated polyhydric alcohol, 2-butene-1,4-diol with the aldehyde, 2-ethyl-1-butanal, would result in an unsaturated cyclic acetal which would have properties rendering the compound especially useful as a food flavor agent as well as a perfume odor agent. As will hereinafter be disclosed, saturated cyclic acetal compounds closely related structurally to the unsaturated cyclic acetal compound of the present invention do not exhibit the flavor and odor properties exhibited by the unsaturated cyclic acetal of the present invention, 4,7-dihydro-2-(3-pentyl)-1,3-dioxepin.